In November election campaigns, both parties are blaming China — in different ways -- for America's declining economy. Would new policies make a difference? Is it time for a trade war or is the US responsible for its own problems? Also, protests heat up in France over pension reform, and an update on Chile and its trapped miners.

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In November election campaigns, both parties are blaming China — in different ways -- for America's declining economy. Would new policies make a difference? Is it time for a trade war or is the US responsible for its own problems? Also, protests heat up in France over pension reform, and the mine where 33 miners were trapped for 69 days has been shut down. What's next for the miners? What does the rescue say about Chile?

Millions took to the streets in France over this weekend and a general strike is planned for tomorrow. Meantime there was rioting today in the suburbs of Paris. It's all about President Sarkozy's plan to fix the economy by changing the pension system. Peggy Hollinger is Paris Bureau Chief for the Financial Times.

Television commercials featuring Chinese music, pictorial characters and gongs suggest that China has morphed from a "Communist threat" to an economic menace. While Democrats claim free trade pushed American jobs to a foreign country, Republicans say "green" stimulus money is being used to buy Chinese products. Have both parties found the same scapegoat to blame for America's problems? Will policies change once the voting is over, or have US consumerism and profit-making combined to create an economic knot that can't easily be untied?

Intense media attention is now adding to the emotional and psychological trauma of the 33 miners rescued after 69 days underground in Chile. What does the incident itself say about Chile? Chris Kraul is still there for the Los Angeles Times.